A Step Closer: When Will Self-Driving Cars Be on Indiana Roadways?

As an Indiana motorist, how would you feel knowing that you're driving in the midst of so-called "autonomous" vehicles maneuvering around you?

Comfortable? Just a bit nervous, perhaps? Downright terrified?

A recent AAA survey concludes that more than half of all drivers don't welcome the idea of self-driving cars sharing the road. An Indy Star article spotlighting the research notes that "only 10 percent of respondents said they would feel safer."

Brace yourself, if you're one of the many who feel uneasy. You're likely just going to have to get used to driverless cars.

In fact, many Indiana legislators and auto-industry principals highly look forward to the day when your comfort level is no longer an issue. Lawmakers are right now moving a bill through the state's General Assembly that, if enacted,will expand and speed up the self-driving industry across Indiana. The would-be law is now headed toward the Senate, after passing unanimously in the house.

Governor Eric Holcomb welcomes it. He and many other proponents note that Indiana presently lags other states in fostering a growth environment for autonomous vehicles, and that the state should be playing a leading role.

The central question concerning the subject focuses on what the Star calls "a delicate balance." Specifically, that relates to a tug between growth and uncompromised safety for Hoosier motorists and pedestrians who will one day -- soon, say many -- be closely interacting with cars having no drivers.

More than a score of other states have already passed legislation promoting the driverless industry.

Indiana House Bill 1341 seeks to add Indiana to the list. Supporters say that passage will promote, not hinder, on-the-road safety for state drivers. They point to the reported 821 traffic-linked fatalities that occurred in Indiana in 2016, saying that a developed autonomous industry will curb those adverse numbers.

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